The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has issued a strong criticism of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), accusing it of "undermining the foundations of football" by proceeding with the sale of a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup to private investors without consulting the continental federations.
The Guardian has revealed that AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa sent a letter to the 47 member associations, expressing his rejection of the way FIFA handled the deal, which involves selling 20% of a new company that will manage the commercial rights of FIFA's global tournaments to Thrive Capital, owned by American investor Joshua Kushner.
Al Khalifa confirmed that the Asian Football Confederation was not consulted beforehand regarding this project, nor did it receive any legal, financial, or administrative studies outlining its implications. He deemed this approach lacking in transparency and cooperation, and urged FIFA to allow federations sufficient time to review the proposal and involve the relevant bodies in the decision-making process in accordance with FIFA regulations.
These developments come ahead of an emergency meeting convened by UEFA, amid rising opposition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan. The Asian Football Confederation's stance is viewed as potentially decisive in determining the future of the project, given its voting weight within the FIFA General Assembly.
